Knight and Princess
by Sadistic Writer Alice
Summary: Manami is the daughter of a wealthy family, and Karma is her guard. She's his princess, and he is her knight. Totally AU... oh wait, they're still gonna have to try and kill their teacher? This is gonna be interesting.
1. Chapter 1

**Knight and Princess**

 **Chapter 1**

I remember the day that I met my Knight. Well technically, it was nighttime, and he wasn't a knight, but a strong boy that my father trusted to be my body guard and servant.

The night before Christmas, father and I went out to see my mother on stage in Tokyo city. We walked through the city, talking about mother's play. As we were nearing the edge of the city, a man on a street corner just across the road was selling cups of hot chocolate. Father gave me some money to get a cup, while he chatted with a friend on the street.

I crossed the street and bought some hot chocolate from the man. I held the paper cup in both hands, warming them, I looked across the street and father was still talking with his friend. I didn't want to interrupt their conversation, so I decided I would just stay on the corner for a little while. I moved away from the cart, not wanting to be in the way of anyone, and then I heard it.

Not far away, someone was coughing an awful lot. Concerned, I looked for the person, and I ended up going into a dark alley, where the coughing was coming from. There was only one person in the dark place, but I couldn't see them very well. All I noticed was his distinct apple red hair. Without thinking, I knelt in front of him and put my hand on his shoulder, asking in a soft voice, "Are you all right?"

Faster than I could blink, he snatched my wrist, and he had lifted his head, his golden yellow eyes narrowed. His eyes scanned my face for something, I don't know what, and seemed not to find anything. He let go of my wrist, and asked in a hoarse, low voice, "What do you want?"

A bit shaken by his actions, I stuttered a reply, "Y-you, you were coughing r-right? I was worried f-for you." I looked at his face closely, and I noticed there was no color in his cheeks. He must have been cold.

"You were?" he whispered, surprise evident in his voice.

I nodded my head, and looking down at the hot chocolate, still in my hands, I held it out to him. "H-here! Hot chocolate!"

He looked at me uncertainly for a moment, before reaching out to take the hot chocolate. His fingers brushed against mine for a moment as I let go of the cup. They were ice cold.

He would get sick if he stayed out in the cold any longer. I wanted to do something more for him. "W-would you like to-"

"Aw look what we've got here, a little dame giving to the poor."

My blood ran cold, and my body froze up the moment I heard that voice.

I heard scuffling of feet and a few men laugh.

"Oh we've hit the jackpot, huh?"

"Why don't you give something to us, too?"

A man put his hand on my shoulder, gripping it so tightly it hurt. I couldn't move.

He said close to my ear, "You're gonna come with us. Don't worry, your daddy will pay to get you back."

He laughed, pulling at my hair, and forcing me to stand to my feet.

I couldn't do anything. I had to go with them. If I didn't, something bad would happen. My legs were shaking underneath my and I was afraid that maybe they would give out underneath me. The men laughed, two of them moved in front of me, looking down at me.

And then, he saved me.

The grip on my hair loosened, and the man must have fallen to the ground, because I heard a hard thud on the pavement and an anguished and surprised cry of pain.

"HEY!" the men in front of me shouted angrily.

Soon the red-haired boy was in front of me, his back to me, he fended off the two men who tried to attack him.

He punched one man in the face, and the other in the gut. In a minute's time, he had taken out all of the bad men. In that minute, I didn't realize that my father had arrived and had seen the boy defending me.

"Manami!"

I turned around and my father practically ran towards me, hugging me tightly.

Maybe it was because I was then saved that I cried. Maybe it was because my fear hadn't yet settled in until now and I was just now realizing the danger I'd been in. I don't know for sure.

But when I turned my head to look at the red head, he was looking away a bit uncomfortably. I smiled, wiping away my tears I faced him and thanked him, "Th-thank you."

Father thanked him as well, and he did something unexpected.

"Young man, I have a proposal to offer you." he said a bit gruffly.

The red head looked at him, saying nothing.

"If you would guard my daughter and stay by her side, I want you to come live with us at our estate." my father continued on explaining, "You don't have to be her guard forever. I only ask that you stay with her until she turns eighteen - five years from now. I will pay you well and attend to your well being."

I couldn't believe my ears. Father was actually going to hire a guard for me. I never had a guard before. I never needed one really, and father didn't consider anyone trustworthy enough to look after me.

I looked between father and the boy, wondering just what was going to happen.

"I will be her guard." the red head said quietly. "But when she turns eighteen, may I ask you for one request?" he asked.

"You may." father said, holding his hand out to the boy. "I am Hideki Okuda."

The red head reached out his hand and shook father's, saying, "I am Karma Akabane. I will protect your daughter."

Father gave a nod, and then turned to me saying, "Manami, Karma, let us return home."

The three of us, we went home together, and as we left the city, snow began to fall.

From then on, Karma and I would be beside each other until my eighteenth birthday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Knight and Princess**

 **Chapter 2**

Even though we had officially welcomed Karma into our family, we knew nothing about him. He didn't talk very much about himself, but he displayed a great interest in our family. Our first day together with him was on Christmas Day. Because we didn't know - and he wouldn't tell us - when his birthday was, we celebrated his birthday on Christmas.

Two weeks passed by with Karma following me from a distance, always standing off to the side, observing but not interacting with me or those around me. He was like a true professional, I thought. I was afraid that maybe he would stick close to my side and be wary of anyone coming close - but that turned out not to be the case, to my relief. Gradually though, he and I became close; close enough that he was less standoff-ish, we could talk to each other without referring to each other with -san or -sama after each other's names, but not close enough for me to ask about his personal life before guarding me.

Even though he would question me thoroughly.

"Do you have any friends?" he asked, looking out the window of my bedroom.

"No, not really." I answered, for the millionth time I wrote out an answer to the Literature question in front of me, only to erase it and try a different way of answering it.

Japanese Literature homework, how I loathe it.

"You don't get along with any of your classmates?"

"Well, I tend to stay away from everybody.." I say, sharpening my pencil before pressing it against the paper, only for it to break.

"Why's that?"

"We don't like the same things."

"What do you like?"

"Theater, of course." I say, brushing off the broken lead and little bits of eraser dust into the waste bin beside my desk.

"Why do you like theater?"

"Because.. it's what my mother does, and she makes it so lively and heart-warming."

He hummed thoughtfully, walking over and looking at my workbook.

"What are your orders for when I go to school with you?"

That's right, Karma will be going to my school after the winter break. He's going to be in my class: 1-D.

"Well, I'm not sure..." I wasn't used to making the orders as Karma called them. "Maybe it's best that you just act normal."

"Normal?" he tilted his head. "Could you elaborate?"

"Um, well, study, and do...student things."

He sat down on my bed, staring at me expectantly. Not detailed enough, I guess.

"Pay attention during class, take notes, talk with classmates,"

He raised an eyebrow, giving me a look. Ya, I probably shouldn't be the person to tell him to talk with others.

"Um, just try your hardest, and sort of, forget you're my body guard.." I said the last part quickly.

He narrowed his eyes at me, saying carefully, "Manami, I will follow all of your orders, but that last one. I am always going to be your body guard."

I gulped, hearing the sharpness in his voice, and hurried to correct my mistake, "No no, I mean, could you pretend that you aren't guarding me? I think it would bring, um, unwanted attention and could cause some problems."

"What kind of problems?" he asked, leaning forward intently.

"Well," I looked away from him, my thoughts wandering to my female classmates. I had no doubt in my mind that all of the girls would be infatuated with Karma, he was very good looking. If they knew he was taking care of me, they might take it the wrong way and start to hate me. "People might... try to test you, and someone could get hurt."

"Hm, are you sure there's no other reason?" He asks, his voice too close to me.

I turn my head, seeing him behind me. He's staring down at me, a playful smile on his face, his eyes bright. "Um, no," I answer quietly looking away.

He chuckles, patting my head, "You really need to learn how to lie convincingly. Don't worry, I will pretend to just be your new classmate."

I sighed in relief, looking back at my homework. "Thank you Karma."

I thought Karma would be fine in class, that he would get along with everybody.

But unfortunately, I hadn't realized how reckless and mischievous he was.

One day out of nowhere, two of my classmates were teasing me about my poor language skills, and Karma decided then that he would do his job to protect me, and he fought with them outside after class, 'for the heck of it'.

Thus, Karma got a bad reputation at Kunugigaoka.

For two years we kept up our charade of pretending to be just classmates, when after our second year, I was admitted into E class for poor grades.

I thought that Karma would go onto A class, as he had such great grades, but one day, he picked a fight with some guys for attacking an upperclassmen from E Class, and he too joined E, after his suspension would be up.

"Why did you do it?" I asked him. I didn't expect an answer. Not once had I ever been given an answer by Karma before.

"Because," he shrugged. "I guess I just felt like I had to. I really hate to see people picking on those who can't protect themselves."

This was the first time Karma had ever answered a question of mine.

"And besides," he smiled. "I'm supposed to protect you, so I had to get into E Class somehow! You can't get rid of me that easy, Manami. Not for another three years."

But little did either of us know, that we might not have another 3 years on this planet together.

That was the day that the moon blew up, the day that Karma started to slowly open up to me, and the day my heart started to be taken by him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Knight and Princess**

 **Chapter 3**

Without Karma in the classroom I felt rather lonely. Strange, because we never really even talked to each other at school to begin with. But his presence alone could make me feel at ease, sort of safe and secure. I guess that's kind of the point of having a body guard in the first place. Well, you never really miss someone until they aren't around.

The first few weeks in class were rather uneventful. But then, we all got hit with some pretty unbelievable news, and an outrageous, impossible mission.

"Nice to meet you. I'm the one who blew up the moon. I also plan to blow up the earth next year. Seeing as I've become your homeroom teacher, I look forward to working with you."

There right before our very eyes was a giant, yellow octopus dressed in some dark robes. And around him, there were a few men and women dressed in black armed with guns, from the Ministry of Defense.

"I want you to kill this monster!" Is what Mr. Karasuma said to us.

He then explained that the creature was indeed responsible for the moon, and that we would have to become assassins, and try to kill him before he destroys the earth next month. The reward for killing him, was a total of 10 billion yen. Crazy. Even my father, who owns a large portion of the service industry in the country would be astounded by that large amount of money. It's an entire year's income for him and then some. I wonder, if I were to get the money, maybe he could take some time off work and we could travel to New York to see mother on Broadway?

Or maybe, what if Karma were to kill our teacher? I'm sure he'd be set for life. He'd be able to start his own branch in the industry world, or, there's so many things that he could do!

As soon as I arrive home I run up the grand staircase, meeting with the red head himself just as he is about to walk down the stairs to meet me. Panting, I removed from the sleeve of my jacket a rubber green knife and held it up for him to see.

"Manami, why do you-"

"You can kill him!"

The words came rushing out of my mouth, and judging by the expression on his face, he was dumbfounded by my strange, excited tone of voice and the waving of the rubber blade.

"A yellow octopus is our teacher, he's going to destroy Earth in a year which seems really crazy but it's true - so this man named Karasuma gave us weapons to kill the octopus and we have to keep it secret, oh and if we kill him we'll get 10 billion yen which is huge, and the octopus is really fast and I ran home, I think you can kill him!"

He blinked before putting his hand over mine and taking the knife away from me. "So we're going to be killing our teacher, huh? Interesting." He smiled at me and patted the top of my head. "Manami, thank you for informing me. I'll be sure to kill him, don't you worry."

That day he made me a promise, the only one that he wouldn't be able to keep.


End file.
